﻿16 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  vol.98 
  

  

  fresh 
  material 
  tliat 
  the 
  tooth 
  characters 
  used 
  in 
  my 
  key 
  are 
  of 
  no 
  sig- 
  

   nificance. 
  In 
  that 
  case 
  Ilepsetia 
  will 
  be 
  relegated 
  to 
  the 
  synonymy 
  of 
  

   Atherina. 
  However, 
  since 
  Atherina 
  Tiei^setus 
  shows 
  extreme 
  develop- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  ascending 
  premaxillary 
  process, 
  I 
  am 
  tentatively 
  recogniz- 
  

   ing 
  Atherina 
  as 
  distinct 
  from 
  Hepsetia. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  attempt 
  to 
  break 
  up 
  the 
  all 
  inclusive 
  genus 
  of 
  Atherina 
  

   Linnaeus 
  was 
  that 
  of 
  Bonaparte 
  in 
  Iconografla 
  della 
  fauna 
  iialica, 
  

   volume 
  3, 
  Pesci, 
  in 
  which 
  he 
  states 
  : 
  ^ 
  

  

  ATHERINA 
  HKPSETUS 
  

  

  We 
  shall 
  divide 
  the 
  Atherinides 
  into 
  tliree 
  classes, 
  calling 
  them 
  Atherina, 
  

   Menib7-a8 
  and 
  Menidia. 
  The 
  genu 
  of 
  this 
  classification 
  Is 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  

   great 
  work 
  on 
  fishes, 
  continued 
  by 
  Prof. 
  Valenciennes 
  alone, 
  and 
  embodying 
  the 
  

   materials 
  which 
  he 
  gathered 
  under 
  the 
  guidance 
  of 
  his 
  immortal 
  teacher. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  of 
  these 
  classes 
  (Atherina) 
  is 
  characterized 
  by 
  the 
  dorsal 
  forefin 
  being 
  

   placed 
  above 
  the 
  ventral 
  ones 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  [the 
  fish's] 
  mouth, 
  cleft 
  as 
  far 
  

   back 
  as 
  directly 
  under 
  the 
  eye, 
  is 
  supplied 
  with 
  teeth, 
  although 
  exceedingly 
  

   small, 
  even 
  on 
  the 
  palate. 
  

  

  The 
  second 
  class 
  is 
  distinguished 
  by 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  first 
  dorsal 
  fin 
  is 
  placed 
  

   above 
  the 
  anal 
  one; 
  the 
  fish's 
  mouth 
  is 
  obliquely 
  cleft 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  eye, 
  the 
  

   palate 
  is 
  toothless. 
  

  

  The 
  third 
  class, 
  beyond 
  having 
  the 
  dorsal 
  forefin 
  placed 
  far 
  back, 
  is 
  eminently 
  

   distinguished 
  by 
  the 
  fact 
  of 
  having 
  a 
  more 
  horizontal 
  mouth, 
  cleft 
  only 
  down 
  to 
  

   the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  snout. 
  All 
  these 
  features, 
  jointly 
  with 
  the 
  smallness 
  of 
  the 
  

   eye, 
  result 
  in 
  a 
  different 
  physiognomy. 
  The 
  palate 
  is 
  smooth 
  and 
  toothless. 
  

  

  The 
  larger 
  species 
  clearly 
  present 
  a 
  very 
  singular 
  characteristic 
  trait 
  which, 
  

   in 
  reality, 
  brings 
  them 
  in 
  proximity 
  to 
  the 
  mullets, 
  which 
  are 
  the 
  only 
  fishes 
  

   possessing 
  such 
  a 
  trait. 
  The 
  bones 
  constituting 
  the 
  jaw 
  are 
  extremely 
  slim 
  ; 
  

   the 
  back 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  maxillary 
  bone, 
  instead 
  of 
  becoming 
  broader 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  

   angle 
  of 
  juncture, 
  ends 
  in 
  a 
  thin 
  point. 
  

  

  Leaving 
  aside 
  the 
  genera 
  Membras 
  and 
  Menidia, 
  formed 
  exclusively 
  of 
  exotic 
  

   species, 
  we 
  shall 
  restrict 
  ourselves 
  to 
  the 
  Atherina, 
  a 
  cosmopolitan 
  genus, 
  in 
  

   which 
  all 
  the 
  Italian 
  species 
  are 
  included. 
  These 
  genuine 
  Atherinae 
  may 
  also, 
  

   should 
  we 
  wish 
  to 
  be 
  rigorous, 
  be 
  subdivided 
  into 
  two 
  subgenera, 
  which, 
  by 
  

   restoring 
  the 
  nomenclature 
  established 
  by 
  Rondelez, 
  we 
  shall 
  call 
  Hepsctia 
  and 
  

   Atherina; 
  forasmuch 
  as 
  (as 
  the 
  above-mentioned 
  Valenciennes 
  remarks) 
  some 
  

   species, 
  among 
  which 
  we 
  may 
  instance 
  the 
  only 
  European 
  one, 
  i. 
  e., 
  Atherina 
  

   hoyeri 
  {Hepsetns, 
  according 
  to 
  Rondelez, 
  possess 
  visible 
  teeth 
  both 
  on 
  their 
  jaws 
  

   and 
  on 
  their 
  vomer 
  and 
  palatine 
  bones 
  ; 
  their 
  head 
  is 
  broad 
  and 
  flat, 
  their 
  eyes 
  

   large, 
  their 
  first 
  dorsal 
  fin 
  small 
  and 
  corresponding 
  to 
  the 
  terminal 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  

   ventral 
  fins; 
  whereas 
  other 
  species, 
  as 
  in 
  particular 
  our 
  Atherina 
  hepsefus 
  with 
  

   a 
  more 
  pointed 
  snout 
  {Atherina, 
  in 
  Rondelez's 
  nomenclature), 
  possesses 
  such 
  

   small 
  teeth 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  almost 
  inconspicuous 
  ; 
  their 
  dorsal 
  forefin 
  is 
  rather 
  large 
  

   and 
  corresponding 
  to 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  pectoral 
  fins. 
  It 
  does 
  not, 
  however, 
  seem 
  

   necessary 
  to 
  establish 
  two 
  subgenera 
  for 
  such 
  species 
  v>'hich 
  can 
  hardly 
  be 
  

   discerned 
  by 
  the 
  keen 
  zoologist's 
  eye 
  ; 
  nor 
  could 
  one 
  absolutely 
  separate 
  them, 
  

   except 
  for 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  forms 
  of 
  our 
  proposed 
  Hepsetia 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  found, 
  in 
  

   exaggerated 
  proportions, 
  in 
  foreign 
  types. 
  Nevertheless, 
  we 
  are 
  exhibiting 
  in 
  a 
  

   globe 
  four 
  species 
  of 
  Italian 
  Atherinae 
  which 
  are 
  the 
  only 
  ones 
  whose 
  existence 
  

  

  - 
  Translation 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Elio 
  Granturco, 
  research 
  assistant. 
  Foreign 
  Law 
  Section, 
  Library 
  

   of 
  Congress, 
  to 
  whom 
  I 
  extend 
  my 
  sincere 
  thanks 
  for 
  this 
  courtesy. 
  

  

  